What do you think?
Rate this book
The Game
Ryan Gibbs was the best thing to hit the LPGA from New Mexico since Nancy Lopez, but that was two years ago when her rookie year tour made the history books. Since she left the world of professional golf to be with her sick mother, she hasn’t played outside of her home course in Los Alamos, where she now works as a coach.
Katherine Reese has the drive to be the best, but since her second season, when she landed herself in the top ten in nearly every tournament, she’s barely been able to make the cut. Unable to let go of her ghosts, Katherine is in danger of tanking her career before it even begins.
Ryan and Katherine are natural competitors thrown together by their swing coach, Maggie Hart. Both have so much to prove and so little time for the inconveniences of falling in love. But if they can figure out how to work together, they just might be a force for women’s sports and a beautiful match for each other.
Katherine Reese has the drive to be the best, but since her second season, when she landed herself in the top ten in nearly every tournament, she’s barely been able to make the cut. Unable to let go of her ghosts, Katherine is in danger of tanking her career before it even begins.
Ryan and Katherine are natural competitors thrown together by their swing coach, Maggie Hart. Both have so much to prove and so little time for the inconveniences of falling in love. But if they can figure out how to work together, they just might be a force for women’s sports and a beautiful match for each other.
- GenresSports
260 pages, ebook
Published March 1, 2022
About the author
Jan Gayle
5 books15 followersJan Gayle was raised in a small farming community in central Illinois. Upon graduating from college with a B.S. in social studies education, Jan joined the U.S. Air Force. She later accepted a commission and served for twenty years as an Air Force officer. As a new lieutenant, she deployed to Desert Storm. She returned to the Middle East for another deployment to Operation Iraqi Freedom fourteen years later. While on active duty, Jan visited over forty countries and was assigned to locations all over the United States. She continues to work for the Air Force as a civil servant, but her true passion is her small woodworking business where she builds custom wood furniture. Jan lives with her wife Jules and their two boys. She started writing on a dare and was immediately hooked. Live and Love Again is Jan’s debut novel.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
February 17, 2022
Golf professional Ryan Gibbs stepped away from the LPGA tour to run her home course in New Mexico. She was a hot rising star on the pro tour at the time. Katherine Reese is a woman on a mission to win one LPGA tournament but her game is falling apart. Ryan’s old coach brings Katherine to New Mexico for Ryan’s technical help.
The Game is an enemies to lovers romantic fare with a backdrop of golf. Ryan and Katherine are appealing main characters with a penchant for not communicating. There are a few areas of concern for me in the novel. The initial sex scene descriptions are pedestrian and lacked an intimate connection between Ryan and Katherine. The good news is this does improve later in the story. The other area is Katherine’s sister who is a key plot point but is mildly confusing due to any clarification of details until much later in the novel.
Gayle brings the beauty of New Mexico easily to the mind’s eye with her prose. You can sense a true connection to the area. The golfing scenes are very well written with a deep knowledge of the game yet not threatening to a non golfer.
Although The Game has some issues, and don’t we all, it is a satisfying read.
I received an advance review copy from Bold Stroke Books and NetGalley. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The Game is an enemies to lovers romantic fare with a backdrop of golf. Ryan and Katherine are appealing main characters with a penchant for not communicating. There are a few areas of concern for me in the novel. The initial sex scene descriptions are pedestrian and lacked an intimate connection between Ryan and Katherine. The good news is this does improve later in the story. The other area is Katherine’s sister who is a key plot point but is mildly confusing due to any clarification of details until much later in the novel.
Gayle brings the beauty of New Mexico easily to the mind’s eye with her prose. You can sense a true connection to the area. The golfing scenes are very well written with a deep knowledge of the game yet not threatening to a non golfer.
Although The Game has some issues, and don’t we all, it is a satisfying read.
I received an advance review copy from Bold Stroke Books and NetGalley. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
February 17, 2022
2.5
This book definitely was not for me. As I’ve probably said a million times, I hate giving bad reviews. But this book was a disappointment.
The book follows retired professional golfer, Ryan and Katherine, a writer living her dead sisters dream. They meet when Ryan’s old coach brings Katherine to her golf course looking to get Ryan to help Katherine out.
For me everything about this book felt forced. The chemistry, the drama, the characters, hell even the dialogue.
Something that every romance author has to learn at one point is simply having a character find another one attractive, isn’t enough to build chemistry. It was the perfect formula in this book to be honest. Katherine with a secret illogical grudge against Ryan, Ryan with an immediate physical attraction to Katherine. Should’ve been the perfect set up for chemistry yet even with the right tools the author did a poor job at meshing them together. Katherine instead of coming up as a unattainable diva, was just plain annoying. It’s hard to believe that her and Ryan are even adults by just how immature they act in general.
I absolutely hated the character of Maggie who introduces Ryan and Katherine. Her and Ryan apparently had some sort of affair which was entirely inappropriate but that isn’t what topped me off about this character, it’s how unprofessional and irrelevant she is in this book. First we find out she also tried to pursue sex with Katherine and then she just leaves Katherine to Ryan, who is virtually a stranger, instead of doing her damn job. Not to mention that none of this ever comes up again. Especially the affair which adds absolutely nothing to this book. Her and Ryan share some random kisses and then it’s never mentioned again.
But that is only the first of irrelevant things in this book. I feel rather confident saying that this book could’ve been 100(e-book) pages less. We didn’t need to know about Katherine’s dead sister’s school life. We didn’t need to know about her dad’s school life. We don’t need an explanation for every fact that Katherine or Ryan present.
This may seem rather harsh but the only thing I can think of to describe this writing is.. lazy.
Everything was. There’s nothing special about this book. It is absolutely forgettable and the writing fails to satisfy me.
The dialogue especially ticked me off, there’s no specialization and it’s absolutely awkward. With injections like “Ah…okay…” or “Ah…Well…Ah” I couldn’t help but cringe. But that wouldn’t have bothered me nearly as much as it did had the story didn’t depend on dialogue the way it did.
Every attempt the author made to revoke some sort of emotion from me just fell short. Every event of drama or conflict that happens after the initial one is also so forced and unnecessary. Perhaps if Katherine found herself more in a moral dilemma and guilt of dating Ryan instead of the story immediately just jumping to them being in love with barely any build up- that would have been an entertaining read. But instead we’re faced with immature problems and a predictable back and forth that makes it simply, annoying.
If I were to scrape for a compliment, the sex scenes weren’t bad, Rebecca provided an entertaining side character and I like golf.
This is just my experience with this book. I couldn’t enjoy it. Maybe you can. So I advise that you check out other reviews.
I received an ARC from netgalley and the publishers in exchange for a honest review.
This book definitely was not for me. As I’ve probably said a million times, I hate giving bad reviews. But this book was a disappointment.
The book follows retired professional golfer, Ryan and Katherine, a writer living her dead sisters dream. They meet when Ryan’s old coach brings Katherine to her golf course looking to get Ryan to help Katherine out.
For me everything about this book felt forced. The chemistry, the drama, the characters, hell even the dialogue.
Something that every romance author has to learn at one point is simply having a character find another one attractive, isn’t enough to build chemistry. It was the perfect formula in this book to be honest. Katherine with a secret illogical grudge against Ryan, Ryan with an immediate physical attraction to Katherine. Should’ve been the perfect set up for chemistry yet even with the right tools the author did a poor job at meshing them together. Katherine instead of coming up as a unattainable diva, was just plain annoying. It’s hard to believe that her and Ryan are even adults by just how immature they act in general.
I absolutely hated the character of Maggie who introduces Ryan and Katherine. Her and Ryan apparently had some sort of affair which was entirely inappropriate but that isn’t what topped me off about this character, it’s how unprofessional and irrelevant she is in this book. First we find out she also tried to pursue sex with Katherine and then she just leaves Katherine to Ryan, who is virtually a stranger, instead of doing her damn job. Not to mention that none of this ever comes up again. Especially the affair which adds absolutely nothing to this book. Her and Ryan share some random kisses and then it’s never mentioned again.
But that is only the first of irrelevant things in this book. I feel rather confident saying that this book could’ve been 100(e-book) pages less. We didn’t need to know about Katherine’s dead sister’s school life. We didn’t need to know about her dad’s school life. We don’t need an explanation for every fact that Katherine or Ryan present.
This may seem rather harsh but the only thing I can think of to describe this writing is.. lazy.
Everything was. There’s nothing special about this book. It is absolutely forgettable and the writing fails to satisfy me.
The dialogue especially ticked me off, there’s no specialization and it’s absolutely awkward. With injections like “Ah…okay…” or “Ah…Well…Ah” I couldn’t help but cringe. But that wouldn’t have bothered me nearly as much as it did had the story didn’t depend on dialogue the way it did.
Every attempt the author made to revoke some sort of emotion from me just fell short. Every event of drama or conflict that happens after the initial one is also so forced and unnecessary. Perhaps if Katherine found herself more in a moral dilemma and guilt of dating Ryan instead of the story immediately just jumping to them being in love with barely any build up- that would have been an entertaining read. But instead we’re faced with immature problems and a predictable back and forth that makes it simply, annoying.
If I were to scrape for a compliment, the sex scenes weren’t bad, Rebecca provided an entertaining side character and I like golf.
This is just my experience with this book. I couldn’t enjoy it. Maybe you can. So I advise that you check out other reviews.
I received an ARC from netgalley and the publishers in exchange for a honest review.
March 17, 2022
There are several reasons I asked to read The Game by Jan Gayle. First, the cover really attracted my attention. Never underestimate the power of a good cover. I enjoy sport romances, especially when the sport is one I like, and I do like golf. I even tried to play the game (emphasis on the word tried) for fun in my young adult days. This is also the first book I’ve read by this author, and I wanted to read something new.
This review is going to be a mixed bag. The premise of the story is a good one. The idea of a retired golf pro (Ryan Gibbs) meeting a current LPGA golfer (Katherine Reese) and being asked to help her get ready for a major tournament is a great way to put the two mains together. Add in past angst in both their lives and an enemies-to-lovers trope, and you have the makings of a really good romance. Place the main setting in beautiful Los Alamos, an area the author does an excellent job describing, and that should help even more. It didn’t.
The novel starts out very slow, and that slow pace lasts through most of the tale. There was nothing to really grab my attention at the beginning. The first couple of chapters seemed more like an info dump.
I did like Ryan. Her character is well-developed, and I connected with her pretty quickly. I had trouble with Katherine. She seemed very shallow at first, but I eventually saw the person the author had created. It was hard to see the chemistry between the two until late in the book, well past the halfway point of the novel. They also jumped into bed way too soon for me. They were still in the “I hate you” phase of the story and having sex. Remember, I couldn’t see any connection at this point in the tale. I know, this is my own subjective observation. Others may like this.
The last half of the book did improve. I finally saw the chemistry between Ryan and Katherine. The story also picked up a bit, and I did enjoy the ending. I can’t recommend this particular novel, but I will be looking for more from this author.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.
This review is going to be a mixed bag. The premise of the story is a good one. The idea of a retired golf pro (Ryan Gibbs) meeting a current LPGA golfer (Katherine Reese) and being asked to help her get ready for a major tournament is a great way to put the two mains together. Add in past angst in both their lives and an enemies-to-lovers trope, and you have the makings of a really good romance. Place the main setting in beautiful Los Alamos, an area the author does an excellent job describing, and that should help even more. It didn’t.
The novel starts out very slow, and that slow pace lasts through most of the tale. There was nothing to really grab my attention at the beginning. The first couple of chapters seemed more like an info dump.
I did like Ryan. Her character is well-developed, and I connected with her pretty quickly. I had trouble with Katherine. She seemed very shallow at first, but I eventually saw the person the author had created. It was hard to see the chemistry between the two until late in the book, well past the halfway point of the novel. They also jumped into bed way too soon for me. They were still in the “I hate you” phase of the story and having sex. Remember, I couldn’t see any connection at this point in the tale. I know, this is my own subjective observation. Others may like this.
The last half of the book did improve. I finally saw the chemistry between Ryan and Katherine. The story also picked up a bit, and I did enjoy the ending. I can’t recommend this particular novel, but I will be looking for more from this author.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.
March 4, 2022
I love golf and thought the premise of the story would make for an entertaining sports romance read. The scenes involving golf are up to par but the romance between former tour pro Ryan and aspiring golfer Katherine landed in the rough too many times thanks to guilt, bitterness and lack of communication. Katherine and her reason to golf didn’t ring true when she clearly had other aspirations. I grew to like Katherine as much as I liked Ryan from the start but never felt the build up I was hoping for in their relationship. Too many missed chances and frustrating obstacles fabricated to keep them apart and kept me from buying into their story.
A copy of this book was received from the publisher via NetGalley for review.
A copy of this book was received from the publisher via NetGalley for review.
February 21, 2022
Featured presentation: The Game by Jan Gayle
Follow your dream…
Cast: Ryan Gibbs disappeared from the professional golf scene without a word after a tragic event in her personal life. Now she is content to fill her mother’s shoes as a golf coach in Los Alamos. Katherine Reese is fixated on becoming a champion – she needs to win only one LPGA major and then she has paid her debt. Her terrible swing and lack of focus when it matters has kept her from fulfilling this dream.
The Plot: Katherine is brought to Los Alamos by Maggie Hart, her swing coach and Ryan’s former coach. Maggie is convinced that Ryan is the perfect person to add the finishing touches that Katherine’s game lacks. From the first meeting, it is clear that The Game will be played in the rough…
The blazing: I loved the premise! Both Ryan and Katherine put their dreams on the backburner out of guilt. This often happens in real life, though for a variety of reasons… It is clear that the MCs were content in their chosen careers, but not truly happy.
Ms Gayle brought the golf courses to life and she did so without redundant descriptions. The view of the game from the players’ side was brilliantly done. I’ve never been able to watch golf, but it is a different beast when you are there on the fairway with your ball and clubs.
The bright: I liked the people of Los Alamos that we get to know. It is a small town and people know each other. This can easily be written as a negative, but Ms Gayle chose to focus on the love and support. Rebecca and Eddie have become Ryan’s family, even before her mom passed away. It was refreshing to see Eddie, in his clumsy way, interfering in Ryan and Katherine’s relationship.
The bleak: As much as I loved the premise, I found the execution lacking... The story is present, but it seems unrefined at times and disconnected at others. The MCs found each other attractive from the start (and even before they met), but there is little chemistry between them. Furthermore it feels like they talk around the issues and never really talk things out…
We end up with a lot of explanations for irrelevant things from the past, but the two events that had the biggest impact on Ryan and Katherine respectively are glossed over…
The burned-to-ashes: Nothing. Well, maybe Maggie’s unprofessional conduct towards her golf “students”…
And then The Plot Thickens, but it takes a long time to truly become invested in the characters. This is in a big part due to the fact that, initially, there is no reason to root for either Ryan or Katherine as individuals or as a couple. We get an idea of how Ryan and Katherine ended up following down someone else’s path, but never enough to believe it. Towards the end, as both MCs started to live the lives they were meant to, one gets a better feel for who they are and what they mean to each other.
The strong suit of the book is the sport aspect – this is rather a sports novel with a secondary romantic plot than the other way around. This was my first novel by Ms Gayle, so I had nothing to compare it to, but I have read wonderful reviews for her other books and will definitely make a point of reading those.
Studio: Bold Stokes Books
Closing credits: I willingly leave this review based on an eARC copy graciously granted to me by Bold Stokes Books and NetGalley.
Follow your dream…
Cast: Ryan Gibbs disappeared from the professional golf scene without a word after a tragic event in her personal life. Now she is content to fill her mother’s shoes as a golf coach in Los Alamos. Katherine Reese is fixated on becoming a champion – she needs to win only one LPGA major and then she has paid her debt. Her terrible swing and lack of focus when it matters has kept her from fulfilling this dream.
The Plot: Katherine is brought to Los Alamos by Maggie Hart, her swing coach and Ryan’s former coach. Maggie is convinced that Ryan is the perfect person to add the finishing touches that Katherine’s game lacks. From the first meeting, it is clear that The Game will be played in the rough…
The blazing: I loved the premise! Both Ryan and Katherine put their dreams on the backburner out of guilt. This often happens in real life, though for a variety of reasons… It is clear that the MCs were content in their chosen careers, but not truly happy.
Ms Gayle brought the golf courses to life and she did so without redundant descriptions. The view of the game from the players’ side was brilliantly done. I’ve never been able to watch golf, but it is a different beast when you are there on the fairway with your ball and clubs.
The bright: I liked the people of Los Alamos that we get to know. It is a small town and people know each other. This can easily be written as a negative, but Ms Gayle chose to focus on the love and support. Rebecca and Eddie have become Ryan’s family, even before her mom passed away. It was refreshing to see Eddie, in his clumsy way, interfering in Ryan and Katherine’s relationship.
The bleak: As much as I loved the premise, I found the execution lacking... The story is present, but it seems unrefined at times and disconnected at others. The MCs found each other attractive from the start (and even before they met), but there is little chemistry between them. Furthermore it feels like they talk around the issues and never really talk things out…
We end up with a lot of explanations for irrelevant things from the past, but the two events that had the biggest impact on Ryan and Katherine respectively are glossed over…
The burned-to-ashes: Nothing. Well, maybe Maggie’s unprofessional conduct towards her golf “students”…
And then The Plot Thickens, but it takes a long time to truly become invested in the characters. This is in a big part due to the fact that, initially, there is no reason to root for either Ryan or Katherine as individuals or as a couple. We get an idea of how Ryan and Katherine ended up following down someone else’s path, but never enough to believe it. Towards the end, as both MCs started to live the lives they were meant to, one gets a better feel for who they are and what they mean to each other.
The strong suit of the book is the sport aspect – this is rather a sports novel with a secondary romantic plot than the other way around. This was my first novel by Ms Gayle, so I had nothing to compare it to, but I have read wonderful reviews for her other books and will definitely make a point of reading those.
Studio: Bold Stokes Books
Closing credits: I willingly leave this review based on an eARC copy graciously granted to me by Bold Stokes Books and NetGalley.
March 4, 2022
I like sports books a lot in lesfic, and I haven't read that many about golf, which is a shame because I quite enjoy golf. I try to play when I can every other month or so. So the concept of a lesfic book about golf featuring an enemies to lovers plotline sounded like a lot of fun to me, and in many ways it was, but I personally found the romance rather lacking.
The Game by Jan Gayle follows Ryan Gibbs and Katherine Reese. Ryan used to be on the top of the LPGA tour before unexpectedly retiring in her prime to take care of her sick mother and then never went back. Katherine Reese is in her second season as a professional golfer, and while she had a strong rookie year, has definitely taken a sophomore slump that is threatening her place on the professional tour. But when their mutual coach brings them together thinking Ryan might be able to help Katherine's problems with her game, that might cause even more problems for the two of them.
This was an enjoyable book overall and I genuinely was into the golf scenes. A lot of people might find golf boring, and I understand that feeling. But perhaps a book like this that explores the intricacies of what it takes to be a decent golfer, the calculations and precision it takes might show some people the fun of the sport.
The characters on the other hand were a lot more hit and miss for me. I liked Ryan a lot more to start off than Katherine, which left their relationship on a wrong foot for me. I did eventually warm up to Katherine as a character as we learn more and more about her but I never really felt the relationship vibes from them, I didn't really feel chemistry.
The side characters are hit and miss for me too. I enjoyed Ryan's friends and makeshift family she has found in Los Alamos. That community was heartwarming, but for how much I loved those characters I really didn't like Maggie the trainer for both Ryan and Katherine.
Ultimately this book has pros and cons. I really enjoyed the depiction of golf and the sports scenes, and I liked some of the characters. But the relationship just didn't vibe with me either. 3.5/5
Thank you to Bold Strokes Books and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review
The Game by Jan Gayle follows Ryan Gibbs and Katherine Reese. Ryan used to be on the top of the LPGA tour before unexpectedly retiring in her prime to take care of her sick mother and then never went back. Katherine Reese is in her second season as a professional golfer, and while she had a strong rookie year, has definitely taken a sophomore slump that is threatening her place on the professional tour. But when their mutual coach brings them together thinking Ryan might be able to help Katherine's problems with her game, that might cause even more problems for the two of them.
This was an enjoyable book overall and I genuinely was into the golf scenes. A lot of people might find golf boring, and I understand that feeling. But perhaps a book like this that explores the intricacies of what it takes to be a decent golfer, the calculations and precision it takes might show some people the fun of the sport.
The characters on the other hand were a lot more hit and miss for me. I liked Ryan a lot more to start off than Katherine, which left their relationship on a wrong foot for me. I did eventually warm up to Katherine as a character as we learn more and more about her but I never really felt the relationship vibes from them, I didn't really feel chemistry.
The side characters are hit and miss for me too. I enjoyed Ryan's friends and makeshift family she has found in Los Alamos. That community was heartwarming, but for how much I loved those characters I really didn't like Maggie the trainer for both Ryan and Katherine.
Ultimately this book has pros and cons. I really enjoyed the depiction of golf and the sports scenes, and I liked some of the characters. But the relationship just didn't vibe with me either. 3.5/5
Thank you to Bold Strokes Books and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review
February 11, 2022
This is a cute sports romance. I liked the second half better than the first- the stakes were higher and it flowed better. I got right into the story at the beginning but there were a couple things that took me out of it - Ryan’s reconnection with Maggie, the first steamy scene, and Katherine’s angst. It wasn’t quite as believable as I hoped. I enjoyed learning about golf though and I was rooting for the characters in the end.
Short Summary: Ryan retires early from the LGPA to be with her family in small town Los Alamos. When feisty pro, Katherine, shows up for a few weeks of lessons, it shakes up Ryan’s comfortable routine.
Thanks to Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
Short Summary: Ryan retires early from the LGPA to be with her family in small town Los Alamos. When feisty pro, Katherine, shows up for a few weeks of lessons, it shakes up Ryan’s comfortable routine.
Thanks to Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
March 13, 2022
Two golf professionals, Ryan and Katherine, fall in love. It's a struggle at first because Katherine mistakenly holds a grudge against Ryan. After this gets resolved the romance blossoms. The story moves along sort of slowly until about 70% then some exciting events happen. Then after that gets resolved the story moves rapidly to "happily ever after "
Thorough out the story the characters make life changing decisions such as careers and grief.
If you like golf you will enjoy many of the scenes and descriptions in this story.
I was given this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thorough out the story the characters make life changing decisions such as careers and grief.
If you like golf you will enjoy many of the scenes and descriptions in this story.
I was given this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
February 20, 2022
I like the cover and the main idea of this book but it wasn't executed smoothly. Ryan Gibbs was an up and coming pro golfer on the LPGA tour circuit. After losing her mother while she was at a major tournament she has returned home for the last two years wracked with guilt. She has taken over her moms job as a golf pro at a course in New Mexico. A previous coach brings Katherine Reese who currently plays on the tour to get some coaching from Ryan on her swing.
I had whiplash from Katherine. She likes Ryan one minute and hates her the next. She blames Ryan for her sister not achieving her goals. Their first time together feels awkward because nothing has been mentioned but attraction. I want flirting and banter. I didn't understand Katherine's epiphany that she was finally free to work on her own writing goals. She could easily stayed playing in the tournament with/against Ryan. And the information about the sister, which is important, comes very late in the story. It is frustrating when we've learned all about friends and parents but not the sister. The ending where lack of communication causes some drama drags on and then is over in a minute. It is an okay story but it could have been so much better. Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I had whiplash from Katherine. She likes Ryan one minute and hates her the next. She blames Ryan for her sister not achieving her goals. Their first time together feels awkward because nothing has been mentioned but attraction. I want flirting and banter. I didn't understand Katherine's epiphany that she was finally free to work on her own writing goals. She could easily stayed playing in the tournament with/against Ryan. And the information about the sister, which is important, comes very late in the story. It is frustrating when we've learned all about friends and parents but not the sister. The ending where lack of communication causes some drama drags on and then is over in a minute. It is an okay story but it could have been so much better. Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 3, 2022
Ryan Gibbs was on top of the golf world when she left to care for her sick mother. Katherine Reese's golf career is in a tailspin and something drastic needs to happen to improve her game. Her swing coach brings her to New Mexico, where Ryan is coaching and the two begin working together. Can they overcome their own issues to find love?
This is my first Jan Gayle book and I can see potential in her writing. I enjoyed the golf scenes but I had a hard time connecting with the characters. I just didn't feel the chemistry between Ryan and Katherine. When I read a book, I want to feel that the connection is so strong, the characters have no choice but to be together, it would cause a physical pain if they ignored the pull between them. They didn't have that undeniable chemistry and their lack of communication was a big problem. Communication in a relationship is crucial and Ryan and Katherine were sorely lacking in that area. I will read more of Jan Gayle's writing and hope I feel more connected than I did with this book. While I didn't connect with this book, it may be different for you.
An ARC was received from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley for an honest review.
This is my first Jan Gayle book and I can see potential in her writing. I enjoyed the golf scenes but I had a hard time connecting with the characters. I just didn't feel the chemistry between Ryan and Katherine. When I read a book, I want to feel that the connection is so strong, the characters have no choice but to be together, it would cause a physical pain if they ignored the pull between them. They didn't have that undeniable chemistry and their lack of communication was a big problem. Communication in a relationship is crucial and Ryan and Katherine were sorely lacking in that area. I will read more of Jan Gayle's writing and hope I feel more connected than I did with this book. While I didn't connect with this book, it may be different for you.
An ARC was received from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley for an honest review.
February 16, 2022
Jan Gayle is a new author to me, but I am a fan – I need to find her back catalog. The Game is the story of two female golfers, but you need not know anything about golf to appreciate the story. It is above all, a love story – all types of love, from romantic love to love of family to the love of home.
If you are reading this, you have access to a synopsis, so I won’t include one here. Both main characters are young women who have been through the up and downs of life. They have won golf tournaments and have known terrible losses as well. Ryan and Katherine are interesting and complex, and we are given enough of their backstories that we understand why they act as they do. I liked them both and rooted for them to get and more importantly to stay together.
The secondary characters were appealing and contributed to the story. I am particularly fond of Rebecca, Eddie, and the rest of the Los Alamos folks. I have mixed feelings about Maggie, but I would read a book dedicated to her.
I enjoyed The Game from cover to cover and will most likely read it again. I recommend you read it too. It receives a very solid 41/2 stars from me.
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
If you are reading this, you have access to a synopsis, so I won’t include one here. Both main characters are young women who have been through the up and downs of life. They have won golf tournaments and have known terrible losses as well. Ryan and Katherine are interesting and complex, and we are given enough of their backstories that we understand why they act as they do. I liked them both and rooted for them to get and more importantly to stay together.
The secondary characters were appealing and contributed to the story. I am particularly fond of Rebecca, Eddie, and the rest of the Los Alamos folks. I have mixed feelings about Maggie, but I would read a book dedicated to her.
I enjoyed The Game from cover to cover and will most likely read it again. I recommend you read it too. It receives a very solid 41/2 stars from me.
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
April 2, 2022
If you know a little about me (and my love of golf), it probably won't come as a surprise to you that I really enjoyed the golf aspects to this novel. I'd yet to read one that follows the LGPA tour and although it's mentioned only briefly within this novel, I really liked this storyline. I also really liked when Ryan and Katherine spent time together on the course as it showed in detail which club, ball, angle they'd use. I could completely geek out on the sport if I was able to. 🏌🏽♀️
Unfortunately, I wasn't a great fan of the romance between Ryan and Katherine. To be honest, I found it quite strange - particularly with the scenario of Katherine's sister and Katherine's weird viewpoint initially. This was never truly resolved for me as well, and it really impacted the way I viewed Katherine as a character.
I will also admit that I found the dialogue quite stilted throughout, and their lack of communication was frustrating. All in all, I still enjoyed this read, particularly due to the golf storyline.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for a copy of this novel. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately, I wasn't a great fan of the romance between Ryan and Katherine. To be honest, I found it quite strange - particularly with the scenario of Katherine's sister and Katherine's weird viewpoint initially. This was never truly resolved for me as well, and it really impacted the way I viewed Katherine as a character.
I will also admit that I found the dialogue quite stilted throughout, and their lack of communication was frustrating. All in all, I still enjoyed this read, particularly due to the golf storyline.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for a copy of this novel. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
April 14, 2022
Ryan Gibbs was a successful golfer on the LPGA tour but left it when she found out her mom was dying. Since then, she has taken her mom’s place as golf pro at the local course in Los Alamos, New Mexico. Katherine Reese also had a promising start to her LPGA career, but lately, her performance has slipped, and now her golf career is in jeopardy. Maggie Hart was swing coach for both women and convinces Ryan to work with Katherine for a month to get her game back on track. If the two can figure out how to work together, Katherine might just come away from New Mexico with more than an improved swing.
The premise for this book had potential that it did not quite reach in the execution. The writing, the details of the story arc, the chemistry between the characters – they weren’t bad per say, but they were just OK. I could relate to Katherine’s enjoyment of golf coming from spending time with family.
Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book.
The premise for this book had potential that it did not quite reach in the execution. The writing, the details of the story arc, the chemistry between the characters – they weren’t bad per say, but they were just OK. I could relate to Katherine’s enjoyment of golf coming from spending time with family.
Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book.
December 19, 2022
Golf is not an exciting sport, I accept it, but this story also has such a slow pace that it does not help to improve things.
This story begins with the meeting between two golfers, Ryan, who had to leave professional golf for family reasons when he was at the top of his career and Katherine, who seems somewhat forced also for family reasons to succeed in golf but who is more interested in writing.
Katherine also has a kind of grudge against Ryan because she stopped playing, which we do not know the exact reason until well into the story.
So between one that seems forced to play and the other that is thinking about whether to return to the competition the thing is messed up a little, all mixed with instant attraction / lust / love that does not make much sense either.
Not a bad story but it was a bit insufficient in my opinion
Publisher Bold Strokes Books was kind enough to provide me with an advanced reading copy via Netgalley for my honest review
This story begins with the meeting between two golfers, Ryan, who had to leave professional golf for family reasons when he was at the top of his career and Katherine, who seems somewhat forced also for family reasons to succeed in golf but who is more interested in writing.
Katherine also has a kind of grudge against Ryan because she stopped playing, which we do not know the exact reason until well into the story.
So between one that seems forced to play and the other that is thinking about whether to return to the competition the thing is messed up a little, all mixed with instant attraction / lust / love that does not make much sense either.
Not a bad story but it was a bit insufficient in my opinion
Publisher Bold Strokes Books was kind enough to provide me with an advanced reading copy via Netgalley for my honest review
March 22, 2022
I love the game of golf. I play some and watch more. Therefore, the hole description and selection of clubs was very interesting to me. In regard to the story, I enjoyed some of it. I wanted more information about the characters. This read left me hanging. Ryan Gibbs, talented golf pro with some issues she has to deal with. What she finally realizes is that sometimes it is better to not deal with issues alone. Katherine Reese, aspiring golf pro with a talent for writing. She is also dealing with issues. Reading some of the reviews, I can understand why some say the issues are manufactured. This may be true but I can see how what Katherine and Ryan are dealing with can be a problem that needs to be handled. One aspect I did appreciate was their ability to communicate. That was refreshing. As were the supportive parents and friends (even Maggie the swing coach).
ARC provided by Bold Strokes Books, Inc. via NetGalley
ARC provided by Bold Strokes Books, Inc. via NetGalley
March 15, 2022
As a reader that likes sports romances I had high expectations for this one...alas not all those expectations were met. The golf part of the book was enjoyable, the little family one of our mains, Ryan, has made in Los Alamos are sweet and the premise of a professional golfer who dropped out of the tour at her high point and a struggling pro golfer who needs to win a tournament but her heart is not really into golf is a solid one. Katherine also has a grudge against Ryan so this could be a nice enemy to lovers romance with lots of chemistry.
Unfortunately the chemistry is lacking, the second half of the book it's get better as they connect more and more, but the continuous miscommunications (or rather, no communication) got a little on my nerves.
***Thank you Netgalley and Bold Stroke Books for giving me the chance to read and review this ARC***
Unfortunately the chemistry is lacking, the second half of the book it's get better as they connect more and more, but the continuous miscommunications (or rather, no communication) got a little on my nerves.
***Thank you Netgalley and Bold Stroke Books for giving me the chance to read and review this ARC***
November 8, 2022
The Game by Jan Gayle is an enemies-to-lovers contemporary romance set in a beautiful New Mexican town. Love and loss themes play a significant role in this book. The main characters are kind, caring, and compassionate. Both Ryan and Katherine also suffer from grief and their navigation through their grief is handled realistically and with care. The supporting characters are delightful and add a lot to the story. Without their interventions, Katherine and Ryan would have never found their happily ever after. The author's descriptions of the scenery and the sport of golf are vivid and authentic. There is enough action and drama to keep readers engaged and entertained.
March 3, 2022
Great feel good love story
July 17, 2024
Comical. No plot, the dialog was often painful, and there was unnecessary exposition all the way until the final chapters.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews